Chef Profiles

Chef Mike Brown

From a young age, cooking had always been a passion of Mike’s, and his interest only grew upon completing a Foods & Nutrition major. Naturally, Mike went on to pursue the Culinary Arts Program at Red River College and gained experience through working amongst some of the city's acclaimed banquet chefs.

Mike is now proud to call De Luca's his home, taking on the position of Head Chef in the De Luca’s Cooking School in 2012. He has trained under cooking instructor Anna Paganelli–the original chef of De Luca's Cooking School for over 35 years. Anna has taught Mike what true authentic Italian cooking is, and he now takes that knowledge to the plate with every dish. Mike currently oversees the Cooking Studio kitchen, which holds banquets for events up to 130 guests. His passion for creative and inspired food is evident and shows through his genuine love of the art of cooking. Mike welcomes guests into his kitchen each night, showing them how each dish is prepared. He takes pride in providing a kitchen atmosphere that allows for growth, development and creativity, and considers each team member a part of the family.

Meet the Chef - It's Love Magazine Feature

Chef Anna Paganelli (retired)

Anna Paganelli has always been the heart of De Luca's kitchen. In her earlier years, she began by opening up the De Luca's Cooking Classes with owner Tony De Luca. There, they began their creative culinary journey, which would lead to 35 years of classes and a very popular cookbook. Anna's style of cooking has always been authentic and classic, using only the best quality ingredients–exactly how she would cook at home. Cooking with love and passion has always come naturally to Anna, and for this reason her career with De Luca's has been a perfect match. After 35 Years with De Luca's, we said farewell to Chef Anna May 2017 at her final cooking class. We wish her joy and happiness in her retirement from the kitchen and hope to bring her back in the upcoming years for special "pop up" cooking classes. Stay tuned!